Simpler Recycling | Understanding The New Legislation

This legislation is designed to improve business waste recycling rates, by standardising recycling practices across England. The legislation makes it clear that food waste items can no longer be sent to landfill and should not be included in general waste disposal.

At the same time, Simpler Recycling legislation requires businesses to segregate glass waste for recycling, and to separate other recyclable materials, known as mixed recycling, into another recycling bin. This enables a higher level of recycling, whilst reducing the volume of waste going to landfill. The legislation, together with the recent changes to Landfill Tax, is designed to improve recycling rates.

Simply put, all businesses are now required to separate their waste and recycle the following types of waste:

Food Waste – including kitchen scraps, old fruit and vegetables, bread as well as both cooked and uncooked food.

Glass Waste – including jars and bottles with lids, tops and labels.

Dry Mixed Recycling – including drinks cans, aerosol cans, plastic pots tubs, and food containers, plastic bottles, cardboard and paper.

Non compliance may incur Environment Agency charges
On 3 February 2026 the Environment Agency announced that they would be introducing charges to organisations who fail to comply with Simply Recycling legislation. The charge, at £118 per hour, covers the work they have to do in relation to businesses who are non-compliant. In other words “the polluter pays”. This is a flat rate regardless of the size of business, so smaller businesses will feel the effects more should they choose not to comply with the regulations.

Review your current waste arrangements

Most businesses should now be sorting their waste properly to be compliant with the new regulations, and be using licensed carriers to collect it. Companies that don’t follow the guidelines could face penalties. Some businesses (Micro-firms) are exempt from the regulations until 31 March 2027, but may still benefit from reviewing their current arrangements.

For businesses that have yet to comply with the regulations, there are some steps to consider:

Review your waste processes to identify areas needing adjustment for compliance.
Train your team to confidently segregate waste and follow new guidelines.
Add clear, visible signage to bins, making it simple for staff and customers to dispose of waste correctly — essential for industries like fast food.
Check your waste collection contracts and note renewal dates to plan ahead.
Consult experts to choose the best waste collection services for your needs.
Compare suppliers and secure competitive quotes for food waste collections.
Allow time to notify current providers and transition smoothly.

Micro-firms, defined as businesses with fewer than 10 full-time equivalent employees, have an extended deadline of 31 March 2027 to comply with the new Simpler Recycling requirements. If you are unsure, Hills can easily help determine whether your business will qualify.

Make sure that your business can dispose of the waste you produce in the most appropriate containers and that you have enough bins for the volume of waste produced. This particularly applies to food waste which must be placed in a separate food container, but also to glass and mixed recyclables.

Further useful information can also be found by visiting WRAP, who work with organisations to reduce waste in their business.

Recycling (DMR)

Food Waste

Glass Waste

General Waste

METALS	steel and aluminium tins and cans steel and aluminium aerosols aluminium foil aluminium food trays steel and aluminium jars and bottle lids aluminium tubes
PLASTICS	plastic bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET, including amorphous, recycled PET), polypropylene (PP) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pots, tubs and trays made of PET (including amorphous, recycled and crystalline PET), PP (including expanded PP) and polyethylene (PE) PE and PP plastic tubes larger than 50mm x 50mm cartons for food, drink and other liquids, including aseptic and chilled cartons plastic film packaging and plastic bags made of mono-polyethylene (mono-PE), mono-polypropylene (mono-PP) and mixed polyolefins PE and PP, including those metallised through vacuum or vapour deposition (to be included from 31 March 2027)
CARTONS	Food, drink and other liquids, including aseptic and chilled cartons
PAPER and CARD
EXCLUDES	Black bag waste (general or residual), hazardous waste, liquids, food waste, wood, and polystyrene

INCLUDES	Kitchen and food waste raw and cooked meat, bones, fat non-packaged food waste food waste in packaging fruit and vegetables
EXCLUDES	Black bags (general or residual) dry-mixed recycling materials hazardous waste glass and metal

INCLUDES	Clean mixed glass bottles and jars
EXCLUDES	Windows and window screens Pyrex Drinking glasses Ceramics General waste, black bags Food waste

INCLUDES	Lightweight, compactable, dry, non-recyclable waste Non-hazardous waste
EXCLUDES	Food waste Hazardous waste Liquids Paint tins Batteries, electronic and electrical equipment Rubble Bulky waste Clinical waste Gas bottles Mattresses and upholstered furniture Fluorescent tubes

Landfill tax is charged to operators who may pass these costs on to businesses. These increases are still significant, so it's possible that businesses will receive larger increases in their disposal costs. As Landfill Tax only applies to landfill waste and not recyclables, encouraging better recycling habits should help reduce the impact of these changes. With Simpler Recycling legislation now in force, businesses must segregate their waste to avoid potential penalties. In doing so, landfill waste will be reduced and this may significantly lower expenses, especially for hospitality and food retail sectors. These changes aim to cut costs and boost recycling rates.

Why choose Hills Waste Solutions?

By choosing Hills Waste Solutions as your trusted partner we will help you navigate the upcoming legislation changes with ease. Our expert team will help you plan ahead to ensure full compliance while addressing your unique business needs. With an ‘Excellent’ rating on Trustpilot and a 97% success rate, we offer the reliability and expertise of a local company dedicated to simplifying waste management and supporting your environmental goals.

Contact us today for peace of mind and a smooth transition to the 2025 regulations.

What is Simpler Recycling Legislation?

Simpler Recycling legislation, came into effect on 31 March 2025, and was designed to standardise recycling practices across England. The purpose of the initiative was to eliminate confusion around the recyclability of materials, making recycling processes more uniform and easier to follow. A significant focus of this legislation is the eradication of food waste going to landfill. By collecting food waste, it is processed by anaerobic digestion, where it generates fertiliser, helping to grow more food. The energy generated by this process is sent to the grid for businesses and households to use.

For more details, refer to the Government Executive Summary and Press Release on how Simpler Recycling impacts your business.
How does Simpler Recycling work?
Under the new legislation:
- Food waste must be placed in a specific food waste bin for collection and recycling. Food waste can no longer be placed in general waste bins or mixed with other recyclables.
- Dry Mixed Recycling (DMR), such as recyclable paper, cardboard, metals, and plastics, can be combined in one bin.
- Glass waste must be disposed of in separate bins.
- General waste bins should only contain non-recyclable, non-hazardous materials.
This approach simplifies recycling for businesses while reducing the volume of waste sent to landfill.
Who is affected by Simpler Recycling Legislation?

All businesses, schools, hospitals, and other non-household municipal premises must comply with Simpler Recycling. Fast food retailers and businesses handling large quantities of food may need to change their processes and bins to ensure food waste is segregated appropriately.

Micro-firms with fewer than ten full-time employees have an extended deadline of 31 March 2027. Full-time equivalent employment is calculated across the business rather than per site, meaning multi-branch enterprises exceeding ten employees are not exempt.
What will the Simpler Recycling Legislation achieve?

This initiative helps to eliminate the confusion surrounding the recyclability of different materials in different regions, making the process more uniform and understandable for everyone.

The aim is to improve the recycling rates across England.

A particular focus of the new legislation is the eradication of food waste going to landfill. By avoiding landfill, the food can be processed through anaerobic digestion which generates fertiliser, which helps to grow more food. In addition, the energy generated though this process can then be sent back to the grid for use by households and businesses.